Broken
by ToriiStorii
Summary: Gabriel really loves his son. It's just too bad that he spends most of his time with the company rather than Adrien. Companion to Stifling


Never let is be said that Gabriel was a pushover or a people pleaser. In fact he hated being told what to do, by anyone.

Except of course, by his lovely and wonderful partner, Firebird. What they did wasn't much really, just casual crime fighters. There wasn't some ultimate evil to battle against, no disasters that needed stopping. Just petty criminals, and once a serial killer.

They kept themselves on the down low. Sometimes there would be stories of a beautiful woman who took down armed robbers single-handedly, and occasionally there were people who would claim to suddenly have the power to defend against their attacker in fantastical ways. But these stories could never be confirmed or denied, so they always drifted back into stories whispered behind hands.

Gabriel, or Papillion as he went by, had professed his admiration to Firebird through his Champions multiple times, about how strong she was or always seemed to know just _where_ something was happening, but she would always giggle and flit away.

Infuriating, really.

Of course once they agreed to finally meet in person and reveal themselves, _she_ was the one to fall all over _him._ After all, what model could resist the charm of an up-and-coming fashion designer?

That's what he told himself anyway. He really had no idea what made her fall in love with him, and eventually become his wife, but he had no complaints.

When she announced that she was pregnant, he rejoiced. While is wasn't obvious, at all, he had always desired to be a father. However…

"I don't know how I'll manage running the business and raising a child," he told her once.

She smiled softly and patted his hand. "Don't worry Gabe, I'm here aren't I? You do what you can."

Neither noticed Dusuu in the doorway, shaking his head sadly.

* * *

The months passed, and Adrien was born without a hitch. Gabriel did his best to be a part of his life, but his business was really taking off and he had to devote his time to that.

So he was a more passive presence in Adrien's life for years.

That didn't mean he never heard what the hired help said when they thought they were alone.

"Have you seen how pale he is? Never goes outside with _her_ breathing down his neck, " a maid hissed to a cook.

"He's four and only talks to his mother."

"She won't even hire someone to help with him, despite how busy they both are. He reminds me of a neglected kitten."

Gabriel wasn't sure what most of the rumors meant, so he decided to start paying more attention to Adrien, as much as he could anyway.

The maid wasn't wrong, he realized after making time to entertain Adrien while his mother was out doing a photoshoot. The boy was very pale. So he decided to confront his wife, in a roundabout way.

"I never hear Adrien outside. I wouldn't mind listening to him outside my window on occasion. It'd be a nice break from the silence of designing all day."

His wife looked startled, but then smiled. "That's a fantastic idea."

Gabriel wasn't hiring any caretakers though, he didn't trust anyone else with his son.

* * *

It took another year, but he was finally able to get someone Adrien's age to come over. Mayor Bourgeois was far from Gabriel's first choice of acquaintances, but he knew he had a daughter, so he caved and contacted the mayor.

He found Chloé frustrating at best, but he blamed her father for that, and Adrien seemed content enough to play with her, grinning and going along with whatever she said.

Gabriel realized he hadn't seen his son smile quite that big before.

* * *

He was against the idea, but apparently Adrien wanted to model to be closer to his parents in some way, so who was he to deny that?

And the boy was a natural. He had his mother's looks and temperament after all, something the media ate up.

For a while Adrien was livelier, _happier_ , but as time passed he could see the smiles dull again, a hollowness in his eyes that no one else bothered to notice.

Or couldn't notice. Adrien had gotten one thing from his father that his mother couldn't do: fake and lie his way through anything. Even if said lying was simply conveyed through a smile that shone like the sun.

* * *

It wasn't until Adrien was almost 14 that he realized how messed up everything was and by then he figured it was too late to fix. Even as he felt himself break from the news of her disappearance, he could see his son suffocating under his own fragmented thoughts.

It was then Gabriel realized how dependent on his mother Adrien was, how emotionally and socially stunted he had become.

And Gabriel had no idea what to do, but withdraw and let them suffer separately.

* * *

When Adrien escaped the first time to go to school, Gabriel nearly called the cops out of fear. It hadn't even been a year since his wife vanished after all.

And when he put on the broach for the first time in 14 years with the intent to draw out the Ladybug and Black Cat, he promised that he would fix everything.


End file.
